Heat exchange apparatus



Oct. 31, T ISHAM HEAT EXCHANGE APPARAT Filed June 18, 1959 1 NV EN TOR Z5/z am vll,-

Illl

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,006,611 HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Timothy Isham, 532 S. Hobart Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed June 18, 1959, Ser. No. 821,230 Claims. (Cl. 257-191) This invention relates to heat exchange apparatus of the type set forth in my co-pending application Serial Number 789,604 filed January 28, 1959 wherein heat transfer is effected across a vacuum through the medium of a heat-gate adapted to be disposed in either a closed operative heat conducting position or open inoperative non-heat conducting position.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a construction in the heat-gate which will afford considerable heat transmitting surface areas in a small space and whereby rapid transfer of heat will be eifected when the heat-gate is in its closed position.

Another object is the provision of an apparatus which is especially applicable for use in maintaining the most suitable temperature condition in temperature sensitive instruments such as electronic control devices employed in the operation of rockets, missiles and the like.

Another object is to provide a temperature controlling apparatus which is capable of being constructed to confine temperature sensitive instruments singly or in groups whereby the necessity of refrigerating whole compartments of a missile not requiring refrigeration, as now commonly practiced is eliminated and whereby the cooling action may be conined to instruments and small components wherein excessively high temperatures are apt to build up to such extent as to interfere with their efficient operation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the above character which is normally neutral and is automatically placed in operation when heat exchange is required, and which when in operation will effect rapid dissipation of heat from instrumentalities being acted on thereby.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. l is a plan view of the apparatus with portions removed showing internal parts in plan and in horizontal section:

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section as seen on the line 2-2' of FIG. 1 with parts shown in elevation, the heatgate element of the apparatus being shown in its open position:

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective View of a fragmentary sectional portion of the apparatus showing the heat-gate element in its open position: and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the heatgate element in its closed position.

Referring to the drawings more specically A indicates generally an internal housing embodying a cylindrical side wall 5 and top and bottom end walls 6 and 7 respectively of which the top wall 6 has an open ended tube 8 which leads into the interior of the housing A for the passage of wave conductors 9 connected with mechanism (not shown) disposed interiorly of the housing A.

The housing A is designed to encase a temperature sensitive instrument which, in order to properly function, must be maintained in an atmosphere of at least substantially definite temperature or at a temperature within a given range and parts of which must be prevented from overheating in order to endure, together with temperature responsive mechanism controlling electro-magnetic means for actuating the apparatus, as will be later described.

The housing A is conned in a vacuum chamber B 3,006,611 Patented oct. 31, 1961 ICC enclosed in a casing C embodying a cylindrical side wall 10 closed by upper and lower end walls 11 and 12 respectively, the wall 10 being spaced from the cylindrical side wall 5 of the housing A concentric therewith, and the end Walls 11 and 12 being spaced from the top and bottom walls 6 and 7.

The casing C is submerged in a liquid body D confined in a vessel E embodying a cylindrical side wall 13 surrounding the casing C and having a bottom wall 14' spaced below the lower end Wall 12 of the casing. The upper end of the vessel E is closed by a wall 11 here shown as extending in continuation of the upper end wall 11 of the casing C.

The assembled housing A, casing C and vessel E are sealed in a vacuum chamber F enclosed in an outer housing G embodying a cylindrical side wall 15 litted with upper and lower end walls 16-17 respectively, the wall 15 being spaced from the wall 13 and the walls 16--17 being spaced from the end walls 11-11 and 14.

The tube 8 leads from the housing A through the upper end walls 11 and 16 of the casing C and housing G and is fixed in sealed relation thereto thus affording a support for the housing A in the apparatus.

The lower end wall 17 of the housing G and adjacent bottom wall 14 of the vessel E are equipped with a filler opening 18 through which the vessel E may be lilled with the liquid body D, the opening 18 being sealed by a removable closure 19. The liquid body D comprises an expendable refrigerant such as liquid oxygen which is highly susceptible to heat exchange and which in absorbing heat is subject to being volatilized and expanded. As a means for venting pressure developed in the vessel E the latter is provided with a pressure relief valve H of conventional construction.

As a means for facilitating the development of negative pressure or partial vacuum within the interiors of the casing C and the outer housing G, a conduit 20 leads through the upper end walls 16 and 11, which conduit opens at its inner end to the interior of the casing C and has a side aperture 21 opening to the interior of the housing G, the outer end of the conduit 20 being adapted to be connected to the intake of a vacuum pump and, on the evacuation of air from the casing C and housing G, to be closed by a cap 22.

In carrying out the invention means are provided for effecting the controlled transfer of heat from the housing A across the vacuum chamber B in the casing C to the refrigerant liquid D in the vessel E, which means embodies a heat-gate J including a cylindrical wall 23 snugly but slidably conforming on its outer periphery with the inner periphery of the side wall 10 of the casing C. The wall 23 overlies the side wall 5 of the housing A in spaced relation thereto throughout the length thereof, and mounted on the innerperiphery of the wall 23 is a spiral flange 24' the margin of which terminates proximate but spaced from the wall 5.

The lower end of the heat-gate J formed by the wall 23 normally seats on the lower end wall 12 of the casing C while the upper end of the wall 23 connects with a top Wall 25 which is normally spaced below the wall 11 and is spaced above the top wall 6 of the housing A, the wall 25 having openings a communicating the space above the wall 25 and the interior of the heat-gate I. The housing A has a spiral ange 27 on the outer periphery of its side wall 5, the convolutions of which flange 27 extend between the convolutions of the spiral ange 24 in spaced and overlying relation thereto. The margin of the ange 27 is spaced from the inner periphery of the heat-gate wall 23.

The heat gate .l is moveable longitudinally to bring the ilange 24 thereof in and out of supercial contact with the flange 27, which movement is here shown as controlled magnetically, and as accomplished by a solenoid magnet coil M arranged around the conduit 20 operable on being energized to act on an armature 28 fixed on the heat-gate end Wall 25 and slidably extending into the tube 2O within the field of the magnet coil M.

The magnet coil M has connected thereto conductors b of an electric circuit which conductors lead into the housing A through the tube 8 and connect with a thermostat N adapted to close the circuit lthrough the magnet coilV M in a usual manner when the atmosphere within the housing A or an object to which the thermostat is attached reaches a predetermined temperature, to energize the magnet coil and thereby actuate the heat-gate J to its closed position wherein the spiral flanges 24 and 27 are brought into contact with each other.

The operation of the invention is apparent from the foregoing it being obvious that when the heat-gate I is in its open position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, no appreciable heat exchange will take place since the housing A is substantially surrounded by vvacuum and the auge 27 thereon is out of contact with the ange 24, but on actuation of the heat-gate I as above described to move the ange 24 thereon into contact with the flange 27 as shown in FIG. 4 heat Will be transmitted lfrom the ange 27 to and through the flange 24 across the vacuum chamber B to the cylindrical Wall 23 of the heat-gate I from whence the heat is transmitted to the Wall 10 and conducted thereby to the body of liquid D in the vessel E. The liquid D in rapidly absorbing the heat and becoming Volatilized thereby and exhausted to atmosphere through the relief valve H, serves to effect rapid dissipation of the heat. Y Y

The exterior housing G with the vacuum chamber F therein serves as an insulation lfor the exposed walls of the casing C and vessel E, but in some instances may be dispensed with or other suitable insulating means may be employed. A

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention, I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their 4formation and arrangement as come Within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a heat exchange apparatus, a housing adapted to contain a source of heat, a casing encompassingy said housing and enclosing a vacuum chamber, a heat conductive flange on said housing leading spirally therearound, a reciprocal heat-gate in said vacuum chamber, a heat conductive flange embodied in said gate disposed in overlying relation to the ange on said housing in normal spaced relation thereto, means for actuating said heat-gate to dispose said anges into superficial contact With each other, and means for conducting heat from said heat-gate.

2.A 'I'he structure called for in claim 1 in which said last named means embodying a wall of said casing and a liquid containing vessel in which said casing is submerged.

3. In a` heat exchange apparatus, a housing adapted to contain a source of heat, said housing having a cylindrical Wall, a spiral heat conductive flange airixed to and surrounding said Wall, a casing encompassing said housing enclosing a vacuum chamber, a reciprocal cylinder in said vacuum chamber surrounding said housing in spaced concentric relation thereto, a heat conducting spiral flange affixed to the interior of said cylinder in overlying relation to said first named spiral flange in normal spaced relation thereto, means for moving said cylinder to dispose said spiral anges in and out of superficial contact with each other, and means for conducting heat from said cylinder.

4. The `structure called for in claim 3in which said cylinder moving means comprises an electromagnet.

5. The structure called for in claim 3 in which said means for conducting heat from said cylinder comprises a vessel surrounding said casing and a body of liquid refrigerant in said vessel submerging Ysaid casing.

References Cited in the le of this patent y UNITED STATES PATENTS Messenger et al Mar. 25, 1958 

